Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-01-28
hi FIRST BATTLE.

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+R FIRST BATTLE.
~ JAMES FRANKLIN FITS.
o.oron Of two or three years
~ ,ss in the field this will be q
,aat;Se title. After being some
Ia aonod TO war by the smoke, the
l tha blood of several active cam
'n ;s interesting to go back to the
l. ;n :, when he found himself I'M
and md review its scenes and inci-
roo1cr turn to tho map of Lou
~ syomine its southeast part, west
M. M,ssissippi. From Morgan City
hiring the war as Brashear), up to
or;a he will see a narrow neck of
. .rl". the Gulf of Mexico and Grand
. INCH is traversed by Bayou Teche
,a u Berwick Bay. This neck, as
!. even narrower than it looks to
h. map; for impenetrable swamp
bonnd It on the Gulf side, SO that,
won to swamp, there is often q
less than two miles of territory.
narrovest point, which may be
on the map as about halfway be-
Rrashear and Franklin, tho Confed-
eneral r chard Taylor had, in the
nrinr Of 1868, constructed large
r.s r;cht across the neck, mounted
rilh artillery, some of which was
(eayv, and remained there ns the
advanced, waiting for General Banks
up and fight.
battle that occurred here on the 18th
III Of April was the first ex-
of the kind to probably three
of the Union side who were en-
in it. Seventeen of our regiments
bder fire here; how many Taylor had
own; but he certainly had enough
abouttwenty five pieces of artillery,
maize things quite lively for us in
NO days. This fight. known as the
Il Bisland, from the plantation on
i occurred, occupies no conspicuous
the history of the war; indeed, it
kble that thousands of the readers
History never heard of it; but it was
y the real thing to us, in the way
and was attended by incidents of q
Interesting character. I propose TO
the field as l saw it in an off hand
Id will make it much more interest
h the historian could. ..
hoved ont from our camps on the
" side Of Berwick Bay on the morn
the 18th. TWAS Sunday; but that
Rstance has never made any pause in
bid it did not in ours. 1 feel like con-
J, in all humility, that the volunteers
had great difficulty in keeping the
ar straight when. out on campaign,
ht Sundays were too apt to be treated
her days. But in Louisiana there
be test of the day that never failed.
the negro women exhibited them
in the gaudiest attire, decked in all
lors OF the rainbow, then the Sab
bd come-sure!
its and spies and friendly negroes
zen information as to where the hos
Pks were, and one days steady march
have brought us up to them. But
Pntry was by no means open, though
was thick with groves, mansions,
lSar- houses. growing cane and other
es which might conceal hostile
Ihers; SO our advance was cautious.
made generally in two columns. one
road along the bayou. and one
p the fields. Two gunboats kept
SIth US, staming up the Teche, and
force OF cavalry was a quarter Of a
p 10 the front.
PIE pause only long enough to speak
wonderful country we were passing
?. The roll was a rich black allu-
eposlted in past ages by the Missis-
ND lts outleading bayous. Nature
evels in that soil and that climate.
aht''lons Of giant sugar-cane are
ranges Lang on the trees almost the
una the magnolia shows it's beauti-
1e flowers; roses were abloom every
along the way; blackberries were
april! Further up the country
'lle lands, where herds Of beef-cat-
hardy ponies abound. During this
~ army-rations, save coffee, were
discarded; sweet potatoes and fresh
we're our staples. In the bayous
lsttors splashed and padded. All
IL lecne were the homes of wealth
Sry-s stately white mansions, the
p lntatlon lands stretching in front,
rear verandas overhanging the
%lteh was often arched over by the
OF trees meeting overhead. Ru-
war had probably reached this Area
ZION; but that Il hostile army should
aaue 1t had not been accounted to
NJ Tue bounds of possibility. ltwas
lsss scenes that our army came in
psll days. and heavily was the cruel
war laid upon this people. With
VI discipline i'll an army, some law
ana plll.se will ever prevail, and
pie VINO fled at curapproach in many
pund their homes stripped and in
Oh their return. A large propor-
'nesc people were of French ex-
"h,l the sight of the tri-color flag
Window was a common one rs we
out to no class of the population
Eruption bring such establishment
as 70 the negroes. When it is re-
eu That IN 1850 this class exceeded
ICY III number in Louisiana. o faint
~ oe formed Of the scenes that were
"'ls occurring along our march. The
louisiana is-or was-an African,
;s .nas the name implies: uncouth,
'1a' With ail the physical character
LIS race III Il state of great devel-
frequently as we passed plan
ouse lhere would be an Eruption of
hundred darkies out into the
F ia Inc soldier.' serse of the ludi-
oula DC gratitied by outlaws, caper-
|ohlng up.of heels, ami loud cries Of
W. VT, Aawd! See dose Lmkum sojers!"
Wa dod! brett ole AIas'r AGum!"
lohey, dey have no horns and tails,
|ah sn'dw And then would come
| ~ Yves gwine along wild yo'
az Tie rear Of the column would